The Present
by SuguiChan
Summary: One apartment, two exhausted Get Backers. Written to celebrate Ban's birthday in LJ GetBackers Yaoi Community. Warnings: Ban x Ginji, shonen ai, sentimental.


**Title: **The Present

**Genre:** Romance

**Rating:** T for nudity.

**Wordcount: **1565

**Pairing: **Ban x Ginji

**Warnings: **Shonen ai. Pointless. Senseless. Done in a rush. Sorry...

**Disclaimer: **Get Backers belong to Rando Ayamine and Yuya Aoki

**Summary:** one apartment, two exhausted Get Backers.

**Author's Notes:** I only read the first books of the manga so I don't know how Ban and Maria really get along – I suppose not very well by what I read in other fanfics. Anyway, bear with me, please.

* * *

The apartment was diminutive, but it had been recently renovated – the walls were clean white, the carpet brand new, a faint smell of fresh paint in the air. There was only one room besides the two cubicles that passed for kitchen and bathroom, and most of it was occupied by a light green sofa bed and a coffee table, both worn and stained but still usable.

City lights shone in melancholic bluish tones through the naked window, shadows of snowflakes dancing across the soft illumination when the new tenants arrived. They entered in unusual silence, almost tiptoeing, as if their own footsteps were disturbing to their exhausted minds.

Ban dropped the keys on the kitchen counter with a small sigh of relief, one hand automatically reaching to push up the glasses that had been broken and lost just a few hours ago. A dozen places in his body were screaming abuse but he solemnly told them to shut the fuck up – a definite sign of how tired he was. Usually, Ban would make a show of whining over every small scratch since he wasn't like some darn lucky morons who could heal themselves in a matter of minutes... that, until someone reminded him that he was the Invincible Ban Midou-sama; then he would immediately recover his proud stance.

Ginji plopped on the sofa bed, eyes already sliding shut. He had used so much of his power in battle that now the healing ability Ban so envied would not work. The cuts and bruises that covered his body would have to be treated the traditional way. He desperately needed sleep – food would be good, too, but they couldn't find any place open at that time and the cellphone had run out of credits so they couldn't call for a pizza or something. Despite all this, a small smile lit up his face.

"Ne, Ban-chan..." the voice was thick with exhaustion, words slurring, but the trademark cheerful tone was there nonetheless. "How long do you think we get to stay here?"

"Three months... maybe more, if we get more jobs like this last one soon enough." well, not _exactly _like this last one, Ban thought. It had been profitable and pretty simple, which he much appreciated, but also very dangerous, which he didn't like at all - especially because it involved two tough Mamoriya teams, one of them led by that goddamn zombie Hishiki.

It was a good thing they had the apartment now. At first, Ban intended to refuse the proposal. He would rather sleep another night in the car and look for another place the next morning, but changed his mind for Ginji's sake. After months of hard working with very little pay, using his power to the limit and never having enough food and rest to completely recharge, Ginji was worn out to the point even drawing electricity straight from the plughole was not helping much. The last job had drained him to a dangerous level and something that Ban really, really didn't need was a sick electric eel to deal with. Besides, Ban was exhausted too, although not as much as his friend – the Jagan user was much more cautious and precise in the use of his powers.

Quiet footsteps brought Ban to the green sofa bed and he sat beside his partner, poking him in a place he knew the blonde was ticklish.

"Ow!" a laughing protest, and for a moment brown eyes shone with childish mirth.

"Don't sleep now, you're covered in dirt." a rough hand inspected Ginji's worst injuries eliciting a little hissing and wincing. Ban's voice was softer and begrudgingly gentler when he spoke again. "You need to clean those or they'll get infected."

"Okay." but the former Lightning Emperor didn't move, his eyes drooping once more. With an irritated snort the Snake Bearer stood up and dragged his friend to the bathroom ignoring the feeble complaints. In two or three skillful moves he ripped off the tattered clothes and pushed the boy into the shower.

"Ban-chan, it hurts!" the wail echoed in the white-blue tiles when the water started to run.

"Of course it hurts, you're injured, stupid." muttering curses under his teeth, Ban undressed quickly and joined his friend in the shower. "Here, let me help."

"I can wash myself, I'm not a baby."

"There are three big cuts on your back and two bad scratches on your calf. Do you think you can clean them right?"

The banter was half-hearted and soon came to a stop, Ban focused in washing his friend's back and Ginji lost in the delightful sensation of being washed. The slender hands, strong and calloused by years of hard training and cruel battles were always careful and gentle when Ginji was hurt. Lean fingers slick with soap ran on wet skin, sometimes rubbing and pressing a point where a bruise was starting to form. It wasn't really necessary because once well rested and fed, there would be not a single sign of the wounds, but Ginji never had the heart to dismiss the attention. He loved the warmth and the care of Ban's hands on his body. It was comforting, relaxing and exciting at the same time and made him sigh in pleasure.

"Done. Your turn now." the quick pat on his shoulder startled Ginji awake from the reverie.

"Okay." Ginji turned, soap in hands. Ban's back was a criss-cross of scars, old and new, but none of them was very deep because no opponent ever had the chance to inflict an injury bad enough to leave a significant mark. Looking from a distance, the skin seemed smooth and unmarred. Ban was fast, strong, and had not only intelligence but good sense and this was why he's never lost a battle. Still, Ginji felt his heart sink every time he saw the scars because he knew each of them must have had hurt and that most of them, Ban had to clean and treat by himself.

With an almost reverent care, Ginji washed the pale skin, lightly kissing each scar he found. Lost in thought or maybe just plain tired, Ban lowered his head a little, shoulders hunching, relaxing at the other boy's hands. It was the only moment when Ban stripped himself off the thick layers of self-defense, when they were alone and sure that no one else could see them. The change was almost physical – Ban seemed younger, smaller, almost frail. The sight of him so vulnerable and trustingly letting his back unguarded made Ginji's eyes sting for some reason. He impulsively wrapped his arms around the other man's waist and rested his head on a bony shoulder.

"What?" Ban blinked in surprise. Blue eyes widened a little as he felt a liquid hotter than the shower water trickle down his back. Ginji's tears. The Jagan user sighed. "Why the hell are you crying, moron? You can't be hurting that much."

"Not fair."

"Uh?"

"By tomorrow most of my injuries will be healed, but you'll still be hurting." the words sounded silly and they didn't really speak of what Ginji was feeling, but he said them anyway, since he had no idea how to express the confuse jumble of regret, sorrow and impotence that pounded painfully in his chest.

Ban slid out of his friend's embrace and turned off the shower.

"You need sleep, you're delirious." a towel was thrown on Ginji's head.

"I'm sorry, Ban-chan." the apology was barely audible, drowning in embarrassment.

"Tch, forget it. We're both tired, that's all." a playful headlock, a ruffling of damp blond locks and they were smiling again, even if not as brightly as usual.

Minutes later they were shivering in the sofa bed, the only blanket available tightly wrapped around them – the heater wasn't working properly. The window was framed in white by the outside as snow kept falling steadily.

Ban could feel Ginji slowly slipping into slumber as he snuggled closer, nesting his head against Ban's neck, mumbling incoherences in dreamy whispers. Strange how Ginji, being taller and broader, could make himself so small in bed, allowing Ban to hold him the way he liked most.

"I'm sorry, Ginji." Ban whispered against blond strands, kissing them. "I've been too cranky lately, eh?"

"Hmmm? Why sorry, Ban-chan?" without opening his eyes, Ginji traced lazy caresses on his lover's chest. "You didn't do anything..."

Ban eyed the calendar on the opposite wall. December 17. Maria's letter, torn and crumpled, was still in his pants pocket. He would have to remember to throw it away before Ginji saw it.

_Happy Birthday, dearest._

_Hope you accept my present, if not for yourself, for Ginji-kun's sake. You should take good care of him, he's so precious!_

_Love,_

_Maria._

Good thing they had the apartment now. Ginji would have decent rest, their last payment would be enough to cover their tab plus food expenses for at least a month. That would give the Get Backers the chance to breath and recover their strength.

The cellphone blinked silently, an alert that the message Ban had sent hours ago with the last of their credit had been received.

_I'm not considering this as a present, it's a loan. Three months, hag. That's all we need. After that, I'm gonna return this apartment, like it or not._

_Ban._


End file.
